A team of fisheries officials from 10 member countries of African Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) visited the Munambam fishing harbour to get an idea of the operational structure of marine fisheries sector in India.

Aimed at creating awareness on commonly caught fish varieties and the market chains, the visit was part of a 15-day international workshop organised by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) under the auspices of the AARDO.

Diversified fish varieties, heaps of fishes for fish feed mills, a giant-sized bull shark accidentally caught in a trawl net and busy auctioneers drew their attention at the harbour.

The team, which included officials from Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Oman, Morocco, Zambia, Malawi, Mauritius, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, was keen to understand the market chain of the fishes connecting fishermen and consumers. They also showed interest in identifying the most sought after fish varieties for domestic and overseas markets differently. The team was excited to understand the role being played by fish auctioneers in the fish market value chain.

A team of CMFRI researchers and fisher folks in the harbour helped them to learn in detail about the activities in the harbour.

The workshop is aimed at imparting training on a range of topics such as marine fisheries assessment, fish stock estimation, marine fisheries environment, impact of climate change on fisheries, responsible fisheries and mariculture activities like cage farming, along with practical sessions.

The programme is part of an international collaboration between the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India and the AARDO, which is an inter-governmental organisation in the field of agricultural and rural development with its headquarters in New Delhi.

comment COMMENT NOW